Rhonda Abrams column: Get your space ready for 2014

If you run a small business, you know what I mean. Look around your office, your desk, your home, your car.

You're probably surrounded by a whole lot of stuff.

That's why, every year, between Christmas and New Year's Day, I take this slow week to go through the ritual of cleaning out my office. If you run a small business or are self-employed, I invite you to join me in getting your space ready physically for 2014.

Any article about small-business organization these days is likely to focus entirely on which apps you should download to transform your life. ? Not today.

Today I'm focusing on the real, not the virtual, junk in your small-business life: papers, business cards, receipts, samples of products you never ordered, swag you've received, mementos, excess inventory, gifts you got that are too good to throw out but that you'll never use. (Like the airline travel kit with a beautiful blue satin travel blanket and matching pillow I got from a client in 2007.)

This year, I'm determined to attack my home office as well.

It's become the default place to store all my excess junk. I've got at least two nonworking printers, old office supplies, files from the 1990s -- and because I'm in publishing, stacks and stacks of books other publishers have given to me. Sure, I had hoped to read them one day; but meanwhile, these gems of literature are clogging my hallway and staircase.

So I've come up with Eight "Rhonda's Rules" to clean your small-business workplace and home office successfully.

? Get rid of stuff.

? Don't keep receipts.

? Get business cards into a database.

? Keep your shredder handy.

? If you need piles, not files, make room for them.

? Get help.

? Make your workspace look good.

? Get rid of stuff. The first, last, and hardest rule of any cleanup is to get rid of stuff: "When in doubt, toss it out." Trash, recycle or donate.

? My piles of books? Off to the Friends of the Public Library. The blue satin travel kit? Goodwill, here I come. Be sure to get all of this out of your office before Tuesday. Start 2014 fresh. And get the charitable tax donation, too.

? Receipts. The IRS accepts electronic copies of receipts for almost everything, so scan and shred all those tiny taxicab, parking lot, and restaurant slips. Check your smart phone app store for one of the many smart-card receipt or business card scanners. Keep in mind, you want more than just an image.

You want to be able to export data automatically into other applications such as Quickbooks, Outlook or expense reports. One physical solution is Neat Receipts from The Neat Company in Philadelphia - I want to see what their workers' desks look like. It's really small and light, so bring it with you on business trips and to your trade show booth.

? Business cards. I give speaking engagements and attend trade shows. As a result, I've got hundreds of business cards sitting on my desk, not getting entered into Outlook contacts or registered for my monthly newsletter. No more! They're getting fed into the Neat Receipts scanner, too!

? Shred. Anything that has your -- or others' -- personal or financial information on it. Include job applications and resumes received. That's the law.

? Piles. Some studies have shown that messy people are more creative and entrepreneurial. Of course, I believe this. But I need to make room for some of these piles so I don't feel physically and mentally boxed in. So it's time to toss out last year's piles.

? Help. We all know the reason you haven't scanned, filed, entered all that stuff and data you have: You're too busy doing actual work. So think about hiring some administrative help in 2014. Really, it's time.

? Aesthetics. You spend a lot of time at work; it's worthwhile to have the place look appealing.

Spend just a little bit of time and money on office decor. Clean up the clutter. The Container Store has an attractive CableBox so you can hide a power strip and contain all those messy cords.

And oh yes, get rid of stuff!

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Rhonda Abrams column: Get your space ready for 2014

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